Solar Energy is one of the most
abundant renewable energy sources that can be used for many things:
producing chemical reactions, producing heat and generating electricity. Learn more about renewable solar energy and how solar panels work
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Solar Power as a Renewable Energy Source - How Do Solar Panels Work?
Overview
The world's energy demand is growing rapidly, due to population
explosion and technological advances. Therefore, it is important for humanity to adopt a reliable energy
source based on these two characteristics, a cost-effective and sustainable
source of renewable energy, for the increasing demand for energy in the future.
Solar
energy is a renewable energy source and a promising source
for addressing problems related to the future energy crisis.
What is Solar Energy?
Solar Energy is
one of the most abundant renewable
energy sources in the world.
Solar energy is solar radiation that can be used for many things:
producing chemical reactions, producing heat and generating
electricity, in addition to the fact that solar energy is spread
throughout the world.
Solar energy is a clean, non-polluting source, so if properly
utilized, it will meet a large proportion of the world's energy needs in the
future.
Solar
energy works by absorbing solar light from sunlight - most of the
light spectrum, plus half of the ultraviolet and infrared radiation - and
converting it into electrical energy for use in homes or workplaces.
Our sun is a massive natural nuclear reactor, which releases tiny
beams of energy called photons. Every hour, photons collide with our
planet enough to generate solar power to meet global energy needs for a year.
Currently, solar uses are very limited. In the United States, for
example, only five-tenths of one percent of energy is consumed. But solar
technology is improving, and the cost associated with its production continues
to decline.
How Does a Solar Power Work to Produce Electricity?
When photons collide with a solar cell, the atoms lose their
electrons in a mechanism called a photovoltaic effect.
It is known that if the positive side is coupled with the negative
in the conductors with an electrical source, it forms an electrical
circuit.
When electrons flow through this circuit, they are known as
multiple electric cells to form a solar panel.
Multiple panels (units) can be connected together to form a solar
array, and the more panels, the more energy they can generate.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
When solar
panels are installed in homes, the sun's rays fall on the panels and
then convert the sunlight into direct current (DC), then the
current flows to the inverter which in turn, converts electricity from DC
to alternating current (AC), then electricity can be used in homes.
The solar panels are simple to install and beautiful in
appearance, and they give high efficiency and are easy to produce electric
power most of the time.
But what will happen if you are not in your home to make use of
the electricity generated by solar panels, or when solar
panels cannot generate electricity at night?
Don't worry, you can still, benefit from electricity through a
system called the “Net metering,” a model that connects the PV system with the
public electricity grid.
Solar-plus-storage technology (a battery system charged by a
connected solar system) also helps store energy produced by solar panels and
stores it for later use.
Solar panels, especially on sunny days, often produce more energy
than individual needs, where excess energy goes to the public grid for use
elsewhere.
On the other hand, an individual receives a credit from the public
grid, which can be used when the panels cannot generate electricity at night,
or on cloudy days.
Each time the smart grid records the energy sent from the solar
panels and compares it to the energy coming from the grid.
What are Solar Panels Made of?
Photovoltaic solar panels are made up of many solar cells. These cells are made
of semiconductors such as silicon and are designed in two layers; a
positive layer and a negative layer, they are known as the electric field as in
batteries.
The battery operates a light bulb, where electrons move through
the lamp from the negative side of the battery and then return to the positive
side of the battery.
In alternating current, electrons are pushed and pulled,
reflecting their direction periodically as in a car engine cylinder.
Electricity is generated in alternating current generators when
the coil winds several times around a magnet to create an electric field.
Many power sources can run these generators such as gas, diesel,
hydropower, nuclear, and solar.
Alternating current (AC) has been chosen for use in most of
the world's electrical networks, mainly because it is less expensive when
transported over long distances, but solar panels generate Direct current
(DC).
To convert DC to AC for input into the network, we use solar
inverters.
What is the Role of Solar Inverters?
The solar inverter takes DC power from the solar system and
converts it to AC power. These inverters resemble the brains of the
system, they also provide protection against ground errors and make statistics
on the system including voltage and current in both AC and DC, as well as track
power output and maximum power point.
Solar inverters have dominated the solar energy industry from the
start and the introduction of micro-inverters is one of the biggest
technological shifts in photovoltaic solar energy production.
Microinverters improve the performance of each solar panel
individually, enabling each solar panel to do its utmost.
The central inverter is used when there is a problem with a solar
panel - perhaps because it is in the shade, or its surface is dirty - which
reduces the efficiency of the entire solar system, but
micro-inverters such as those in a home solar system, avoid these
problems.
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Conclusion
Most scientists believe that increasing carbon dioxide emissions
from burning fossil fuels is responsible for global warming and climate change.
The solar industries will surely be the best choice for future
energy demand due to their high quality in terms of availability, clean and
environmentally friendly, cost-effective, accessible, and high efficiency
compared to other renewable energy sources.
Tags
Environment
environmental sustainability
photovoltaic system
renewable energy
solar energy
solar inverters
solar panels